MP accuses Jacqui Smith of ‘running scared’ over Green fiasco

MP accuses Jacqui Smith of ‘running scared’ over Green fiasco

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Jacqui Smith

Storm: Jacqui Smith’s office said she would not face MPs over the raid on Damian Green’s office

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Damian Green

Threatened: Damian Green

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Jacqui Smith

Storm: Jacqui Smith’s office said she would not face MPs over the raid on Damian Green’s office

Jacqui Smith was accused of "running scared" today when she ducked MPs' questions about the police raid on Damian Green.

The Home Secretary's office said she would not be making a statement on the fiasco to the Commons on Monday, contrary to reports.

Although the minister in charge of policing, an aide said Ms Smith was not responsible for the investigation that resulted in no charges for Tory MP Mr Green this week.

At the same time, a spokesman for Cabinet Office Minister Liam Byrne, whose officials wrongly told Scotland Yard the leaks had damaged national security, said he would not make a Commons statement either.

Shadow home secretary Chris Grayling said MPs should be given a chance to ask questions about the Green affair as well as other recent Home Office controversies.

He called on Ms Smith to widen a statement she is giving on last week's counter-terrorism operation to include the resignation of former Met assistant commissioner Bob Quick and the background to Mr Green's arrest.

"It should be a broad-ranging statement so that MPs can ask her about all these matters of concern," he said. "If she does not, people will think she is running scared."

Ms Smith was further embarrassed when it emerged that over a dozen leaks from her department have not been accounted for.

Home Office whistleblower Christopher Galley told Sky: "I have been accused of leaking 22 documents. But I want to state categorically I only leaked four."

The police investigation into the leaks ended when the Director of Public Prosecutions declined to charge Mr Galley and Mr Green yesterday.

Meanwhile, Mr Green revealed he was threatened with being jailed for life by police investigating the leaks.

The threat was made when he was arrested and held for nine hours by detectives who wanted him to confess to procuring national secrets.

Mr Green revealed: "They said, Do you realise that this offence could lead to life imprisonment?' I just thought this was absurd."

Mr Galley said he was also threatened with a lifetime in jail.

The disclosure was more humiliation for Ms Smith, who is widely expected to be demoted in a summer reshuffle after months of embarrassments as Home Secretary.

Mr Green today said he had been "shocked" that even after he was cleared, Ms Smith's aides continued to allege he was guilty of "grooming" Mr Galley into making leaks.

"In the wake of the Damian McBride [smear email] affair and on the day Gordon Brown apologised, it's completely unbelievable that their response was to try to smear me," he told the Standard.

Sources close to Ms Smith have said the report by British Transport Police chief Ian Johnstone into the raid on Mr Green's office would show the MP was guilty of "reprehensible behaviour".

Even before the disastrous end to the leaks investigation, Ms Smith was under pressure over £140,000 of expenses claims made by describing a room in her sister's London home as her "main residence".

It was then revealed her husband watched porn movies at the family home that were charged to her Commons expenses.